Our Family
by Auggie Rahne
Summary: A little short something to help remove writers block. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Rizzoli & Isles, someone else does. I thank you for creating these great characters for me to use in my own creative ways.

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It had happened again. Summer came and they'd easily slipped into the familial roles. The first sign came the very first night at story time. The little voice softly asking for story time to take place in the big bed, with everyone. After three stories all little bodies were safely tucked into their beds. A DVR'd movie, a glass of wine, and a bottle of beer were shared on the living room sofa.

Morning brought early risers and animal shaped pancakes. Soft apologies whispered in Italian, from Grandmother to eldest grandchild, for missing their home coming. Even softer assurances that the ladybug pancakes were good enough of a welcoming. Several conversations at the table, one spoken in French, their family was intact once again.

Days were filled with family fun. Sometimes everyone together, other times with a couple on their own. Nights passed with family meals, movie nights, and "_please, just one more story_". No thoughts to what happened when summer ended.

A long day spent at an amusement park ended with sleeping kids and the first night alone in weeks. A glass of wine and a bottle of beer accompanied the two women as they sat on the couch, soft music playing in the background. A soft whisper of, "_We should pick some of this stuff up_", was given a sleepy reply of, "_Mm, tomorrow_".

The trip back to the master bedroom was made half an hour later. Short stops to peek into each room, making sure everyone was still safe in their beds. One shower and two changes of clothes lead to both women settled in the large bed. It wasn't long before they were both asleep.

Time seemed to pass even faster after that. A sad face appeared on the eldest's face, but the words refused to pass her lips. Summer was ending, time was running out. In a few short days time they would no long be a family. Their home would grow quiet, and feel more like a house.

Two nights before they were separated the unthinkable happened. The eldest, the beautiful smart pre-teen ran away, leaving only a note: _I don't understand why we're only a family eight weeks out of a year. I won't go back and she won't let me stay. I'm sorry, Lexi._

Calls of her name were unreturned. The trip to her room was made while everyone else gathered in the dining room. The multiple conversations were cut short when the scream echoed throughout every inch of the home: _Jane!_

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I hope you liked. I may write a second chapter. Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

"How can we be family if we're only together for eight weeks a year?" Nine-year-old Alexandria softly asked as she hugged her Mom.

"You don't have to be together to be a family, Lex." Jane softly told her oldest, "I am always your Mom, no matter what time of year it is. I'm only a phone call away, promise."

"We have to go." Jessica snapped as she pulled on Alexandria's arm.

"I love you," Jane called after the retreating backs of her three young daughters, "I'm always here, just call."

Maura stepped up next to Jane, "It's going to be okay."

Jane pulled away from Maura's touch and turned to her friend, "It's not going to be okay. I should have fought harder, but I didn't."

Maura grabbed Jane's hand, "There was nothing you could do, Jane."

Jane looked down to their intertwined fingers, "I could have married her."

Maura pulled her hand away, as if she was burned, "What do you mean you could have married her?"

"Before," Jane explained as she took Maura's hand back, "When we were together. I could have asked her to marry me. Then I would have been able to adopt the girls. I would have had a leg to stand on in a custody case."

"You told me you didn't fight harder because you knew Jessica would change her mind." Maura reminded, realizing they were still standing in the middle of the airport she pulled Jane forwards, starting their exit.

"What if I was wrong?" Jane asked, second guessing her gut instinct.

"I don't like sentences that start with _what if_." Maura said, causing Jane to laugh lightly, "You're gut is rarely wrong. You just need to give it time."

"You don't believe in gut instincts." Jane shot back.

"I believe in you and you believe in your gut instincts." Maura responded as they exited through the sliding doors.

* * *

"Hey, Lex, you want to take a walk?" Jane asked as she handed her youngest daughter, Sophie, to Maura.

"Am I in trouble?" Alexandria asked, looking hesitant, she knew the talk of the past school year would come sooner or later.

"Just want to talk to you." Jane replied as her middle daughter seemed to pop up out of nowhere.

"Is it 'cause she got in trouble at school?" Six-year-old Mackenzie asked, as she pulled herself onto a stool at the island.

"What have we told you about eavesdropping, Mackenzie?" Maura asked as she shifted Sophie from one hip to the other.

"That it's not nice to listen to other people's conversations." Mackenzie softly replied, "And that snitches end up in ditches."

Jane lifted Mackenzie's chin, "Which Uncle told you that last part?"

Mackenzie looked panicked for a second before saying, "But I don't want to end up in a ditch!"

Maura moved around, placing her free hand on Mackenzie's back she softly said, "Sweetie, you aren't going to end up in a ditch. Your Mom and I would just like to know who told you that, so we may speak to them about impressionable minds."

Mackenzie looked from Maura to Jane and back again, "You promise I won't end up in a ditch with other snitches?"

"We promise, Zoey." Jane answered for them both.

"Uncle Tommy told me." Mackenzie softly said as she looked down.

"Thank you for telling the truth, Sweetie." Maura softly said as she kissed the top of the little blonde's head.

"I'll talk to Tommy later." Jane promised Maura, she then turned to Alexandria, "Ready for that walk?"

"Yes," Alexandria answered, "I'm ready."

The two brunettes left the house. As Jane closed the door behind herself she could faintly hear Mackenzie asking for a snack before Sophie's nap. Jane watched as Alexandria fidgeted with the necklace Maura had sent to her this past Christmas. Jane wrapped her arm around Alexandria's shoulders and suggested they walk to the park to talk. Alexandria softly agreed as she leaned into Jane.

A little over five minutes later the pair reached the park and found a bench. They continued their silence for almost a full minute before Alexandria burst into a ramble. Jane let her go on for a while before stopping her.

"Lexi, I'm only getting every third word, calm down." Jane told the ten-year-old, as she placed her hand on Alexandria's shoulder.

"I shouldn't have let my grades get so bad." Alexandria repeated slower, "And I shouldn't have gotten into that fight."

"I want to talk to you about that, I do, but I brought you out here for another reason." Jane said as brown eyes meet gray.

"I don't understand." Alexandria admitted.

"Tomorrow, Nonna is going to watch Zoey and Sophie while Maura and I take you out to lunch to talk about school." Jane explained.

"Okay," Alexandria replied, "What did you bring me here to speak about?"

"You remind me more of Maura then Jessica." Jane said as she smiled at her oldest daughter.

"Really?" Alexandria asked, smiling happily.

"Maura and I are dating." Jane blurted out, "I wasn't supposed to just blurt that out."

Alexandria's happy face turned sad in seconds, "Does this mean you're going to send us back to California and not bring us back?"

Jane placed a hand on each side of Alexandria's face, "You are my daughter no matter what anyone else thinks. You and your sisters are my kids."

Alexandria couldn't help the tears that started to fall, "I don't understand."

Jane whipped away most of the tears then let her hands fall, "I'm going to tell your Mom when she picks you up at the airport. She's going to be angry."

"Are you worried she won't let us back?" Alexandria asked as she whipped away a few stray tears.

"She wouldn't do that." Jane promised, "But she won't let you guys go anytime soon."

"So we have to wait longer for her to decide to give us to you?" Alexandria softly asked.

"I swear you are more and more like Maura everyday." Jane said, speaking of just how smart Alexandria was.

* * *

"You don't want to make a scene." Jane hissed at her ex-girlfriend.

"If you think for one second that I am going to let you and the slut you left me for play happy family with my kids, you have another thing coming." Jessica hissed back.

"You left me, remember." Jane shot back, anger rising until she felt a soft hand touch her back.

"The girls are going to hear you." Maura softly said her eyes fixed on the three little girls standing a few feet away.

"They are my kids." Jessica hissed one last time before walking away.

"Come here, dudes." Jane called as she walked towards the three girls.

"Are we coming back?" Mackenzie softly asked as she buried her head into Jane's hip.

"Yes, I will see you next summer." Jane promised, "And I'm only a phone call away, always."

"Mommy, no go." Sophie cried as she tried to get out of Alexandria's arms and into Jane's.

"Its okay, Soph, just a few months time and we'll be together again." Jane promised as she took the youngest, "We can read bedtime stories. We'll splash your sisters. We'll even go back to the amusement park."

"I miss you." Sophie mumbled into Jane's neck.

"I'm going to miss you too, Soph." Jane said as she hugged her youngest daughter tightly, "I love you, Sophie."

"We should go, girls." Jessica said as she tapped her foot, "Don't want to miss the plane."

"Bye, Maura." Alexandria said as she hugged Maura.

"Bye, Sweetie." Maura replied as she hugged Alexandria close.

"Do I get a hug?" Mackenzie asked, she'd untangled herself from Jane and stepped over to her older sister and Maura.

"Of course." Maura said as she pulled away from Alexandria and took Mackenzie into her arms.

"Me too, me too." Sophie called as she tried to reach Maura.

Once Mackenzie's feet were on the ground she moved away to make room for Sophie to be handed over. Jane hugged Alexandria, whispering in her ear. Alexandria nodded then took Sophie and walked towards their Mother. Mackenzie gave Jane a proper hug before joining her sisters.

The girls waved before fallowing Jessica through the airport. Maura leaned into Jane's side as they watched them disappear into the crowd. Jane hugged Maura and kissed the top of her head before she lead her back out of the airport.

* * *

"Morning," Alexandria softly greeted as she stepped into the kitchen; this caused both women to look at the eleven-year-old.

"You scared the hell out of us." Jane hissed at her eldest daughter.

"Jane," Maura softly tried to rein in her fiancée's anger.

"Don't." Jane warned as she looked at Maura, and then looked back to Alexandria, "What the hell were you thinking running away like that? Did you really think that would solve anything?"

"I'm sorry." Alexandria mumbled as she looked at the floor.

"We filed for custody, Lex." Jane informed her daughter, "You would have found that out, but no you decided it was a good idea to run away."

"I, I'm so sorry." Alexandria mumbled again.

"Stop saying you're sorry!" Jane yelled, causing both Maura and Alexandria to jump in surprise, "So many things could have happened to you."

Jane slammed her hands onto the countertop before storming off towards the front door. She needed to remove herself from the situation. Jane needed time and space to think, plus the fresh air would be good. Neither Maura nor Alexandria moved for a full minute after the front door closed.

Alexandria looked up, tears streaming down her face, "I'm sorry."

Maura closed the gap between herself and Alexandria in what felt like a nanosecond, "Shh, it's okay. It's all going to be okay. We were just so worried."

Alexandria clung to Maura as she cried, "I, I'm so sor-sorry."

Maura held onto Alexandria, whispering to her as she softly rubbed soothing circles on the pre-teen's back. The pair was soon joined by a sleepy seven-year-old; Mackenzie was rubbing her eyes as she stepped into the kitchen. Mackenzie froze when she saw Alexandria in Maura's arms.

Mackenzie dropped her hand and asked, "Did this happen 'cause we didn't tell you guys about the social worker?"

"No, Mackenzie," Maura softly answered, "Come here."

"I told her not to say anything about the social worker." Alexandria admitted as both she and Mackenzie took a seat at the island.

"Your Mom and I know about the social worker." Maura said, calming the two girls, "Your Aunt Rebecca called your Mom when it all happened."

"Is what Mom said true?" Alexandria asked.

"Yes, we filed for custody." Maura confirmed, causing Mackenzie to sit up straighter, "We didn't want to tell you until a judge gave us temporary custody."

"Did a judge give you temporary custody yet?" Mackenzie asked, hopeful.

"Yesterday, we received the news." Maura replied in the positive.

"Does this mean we get to stay?" Alexandria asked as she looked from her sister to Maura.

"It means you will defiantly be starting school here in Boston." Maura answered, "We can't promise it will be permanent just yet."

Just then the door opened and Mackenzie turned towards the person entering, "Nonna, we get to stay!"

Angela looked from her granddaughters to her soon-to-be daughter-in-law, "You found out?"

Maura nodded, "I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner, we were going to tell you last night."

"But I ran away." Alexandria mumbled.

"That wasn't your fault," Jane said as she stepped into the kitchen, "We should have told you at the beginning of summer that we had filed for custody."

"I'm sorry." Alexandria said again before being wrapped in Jane's arms.

"Sophie, we get to stay with Mommy and Momma!" Mackenzie called when she heard her younger sister coming down the stairs.

"Yay!" Sophie called back as she moved even faster down the stairs, "Mommy! Momma!"

Maura scooped Sophie up when she ran into the kitchen to join the rest of the family. Jane pulled Mackenzie to her and hugged both of her older daughters. Maura and Sophie joined the group hug. Angela stood on the outside watching her daughter pull her family close, the same daughter that had always said she wasn't a hugger.

Mackenzie pulled free of being squished and asked, "After we get everything all official like, can you give us a brother? I'd really like to have someone that doesn't want to dress in pink tutus."

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AN: This is the conclusion to my short story. I hope this helped to clear some things up from the first part. Thanks for reading.


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